An alternative to case-carburizing and through-hardening aerospace alloys is 32CrMoV13, a nitriding steel that can be used in certain applications. It is principally used in thin section, complex, distortion-sensitive components.
The nitriding treatment is performed at a relatively low temperature between 500 and 550 °C (930 and 1020 °F) on ted material, without subsequent quenching, which leads to low distortion and no, or minimal, degradation of mechanical properties during nitriding (Ref 48). To achieve a case depth (100 HV over core hardness) of 0.6 mm (0.024 in.) in a reasonable time period (<100 h), a nitriding temperature between 525 and 550 °C (980 and 1020 °F) is recommended (Fig. 40).
For more information, click on the link below (subscription required). Then scroll down the Chapter Contents column on the left of the page, and click on “Carburizing and Nitriding Practices for Specialty Steels.”
https://dl.asminternational.org/handbooks/book/9/chapter/110017/Heat-Treatment-of-Bearings
